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CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Goal two of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which was adopted by the international community in the year 2000 proposed that by 2015, all children of school age should have free, affordable and accessible education. This goal is in response to the world conference of Education For All (EFA) held in Jomitten, Thailand from 5th to 9th
March, 1990. This conference was the major trigger for the commencement of basic education (Edho, 2009). The conference, which was well attended, came out with a blue print document entitled ‘World Declaration on Education For All’ and framework of actions to meet basic learning needs (FGN/UNICEF, 2003).
Nigeria as a member of the international community became encouraged to set up educational activities to achieve EFA goals. EFA in Nigeria could be traced back to the introduction of Universal Primary Education (UPE) in the 1950’s in two of the then regions of the country and at the national level in 1976. Denga (2000:12) declared that “our memories may be flashed back to 1950 when the universal declaration of human rights asserted that every one has the right to education”. The right to education by citizens of school age in Nigeria has witnessed a renewed determination by the government to achieve it well before 2015 as Obasanjo (2006:1) puts it; “educating a child is closing the prison gates’. The strength of EFA cannot be overemphasized as the future of the child and nation at large depends on educational gains.
The National Policy on Education (2004) attest to Nigeria’s commitment to EFA in particular and basic education for all as each of the four policies introduced in Nigeria lays emphasis on universal, functional and qualitative education. The guiding principles of EFA in Nigeria is the “ equipping of every citizen with knowledge, skills, attitude and values as well
as enable him/her derive maximum benefit from his membership of society as thus, lead a fulfilling life (FGN, 2004).
The determination of the government under the leadership of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to achieve EFA by 2015 saw the introduction of the UBE programme. Launched at Sokoto on the 30th day of September 1999, the programme actually took off in the 2000/2001 school year. The launch became necessary as the Obasanjo-led government came into power in 1999 and met an educational system that was in a state of decay (FGN, 2004). Teachers were poorly trained and motivated, high rate of illiteracy as a consequence of high dropout rates, poor infrastructure conditions in schools. Thus, the introduction of the UBE came as a result to positively transform the nation’s basic education sub-sector (FGN, 2004) and to meet the context of the global vision of EFA. The UBE aims at equipping individuals with knowledge (Obinaju, 2001).
According to the Compulsory, Free Education Bill which was passed into law in 2004, basic education means early childhood care education and nine years of formal schooling. Therefore, basic education embraces formal schooling and a variety of formal and informal public and private educational programmes designed to meet the learning needs of people irrespective of age. Also, basic education within the framework of UBE comprises of early childhood and pre-primary education, primary education, the first three years of secondary education, basic and functional literacy for school children, youths and adults, nomadic education among others.
The objectives of the UBE scheme as contained in the UBE Act (2004:19) include:
developing in the entire citizenry a strong consciousness for education and a strong commitment to its vigorous promotion; the provision of free, Universal Basic Education for every Nigerian child of school going age; reducing drastically the incidence of drop-out from the formal school system, through improved relevance, quality and efficiency; catering for the learning needs of young persons who, for one reason or another, have had to interrupt their schooling through appropriate forms of complementary approaches to the provision and promotion of basic education; and, ensuring the acquisition of appropriate levels of literacy, numeracy, manipulative, communicative and life skills as well as the ethical, moral and civic values needed for laying a solid foundation for life-long learning.
The plan is to make provision for 9 years of compulsory education that would cover primary and junior secondary levels. The objectives contained in the UBE Act are in consonance with that stipulated by the Federal Government of Nigeria (2000:3) gave the following as:
Formal basic education encompassing the first nine years of schooling (primary and junior secondary education) for all children; nomadic education for school-age children of pastoral nomads and migrant fishermen; and, non-formal education for out of school children, youths and literate adults.
Granted that the UBE scheme is free and compulsory, it carries with it some inevitable obligations, problems and issues that cannot be overlooked. Universal or mass education requires that the three tiers of government, non-governmental agencies, private individuals and international organizations to provide human and material resources as well as funding.
By virtue of being in the concurrent list, primary education can be legislated on by the Federal, State and Local Governments. A people-oriented government will prioritize the equipment of primary schools with new structures as well as oversee the maintenance of already existing ones. The government, therefore, has to provide classrooms, construct new buildings, provide books and writing materials as well as all other things needed for teaching and learning in the primary schools.
The government is also required, under the principles of the UBE programme, to provide textbooks, pencils, diaries, desks, chairs, chalk-board, as well as visual and audio
visual aids through the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) for onward distribution to the various schools and learning centres. Government is also expected to provide support to the physically challenged through the provision of the special learning requirements which they need. It should be noted that the government is not alone in the sponsorship of the UBE programme. Indeed, donor agencies like United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United Nations International Children Education Fund (UNICEF), World Bank and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) equally contribute towards the success of the UBE programme. However, the various forms of assistance from the three tiers of government and international donor agencies to the UBE scheme seem to be less than what is required to meet the institutional and instructional challenges of the programme in Anambra State since its launch on November 25, and 29, 2005 respectively.
Thus the guidelines for the implementation of the UBE programme recognizes that the implementation of the scheme should be a collaborative one which involves the three tiers of government, civil society organizations, international donor agencies, international organizations, communities, private individuals etc. It embodies a funding arrangement which mandates the federal government to provide financial and technical assistance to the state of the federation as a supportive measure.
The involvement of quality teachers in the implementation of the UBE is also vital. A teacher, according to Ukeje (1996) and Mungali (1997), is a person who has successfully gone through a well-designed teacher education programme in a recognised institution. Thus if education is the door that opens a society to modernisation and development, the key to such door is in the hands of the teacher (Kabiru, 2001). Not only that, Akilaya (2001) contends that only qualified and motivated teachers can foster quality education. Okoro (1998) cited in Ibiam (2001) identified the major contributory factors to quality education as
qualified teachers, appropriate funding, provision of infrastructural facilities among others. Deducible from this is that in the absence of these factors, the UBE scheme will not attain its objectives.
Indeed, all the things needed for the achievement of UBE objectives hinge mainly on finance and its management. A 15-year deadline has been set for the achievement of the objectives of the UBE scheme. Thus, a massive programme support in the area of funding and provision of school facilities are required from the State governments in line with the implementation policy of the Universal Basic Education scheme in Nigeria (Ajayi and Kayode, 2011). These include:
- Rehabilitation of schools and the construction of new schools and classroom blocks;
- Special programmes targeted at girls and hard-to-reach groups such as children of fishermen and nomadic communities;
- Reduction of high pupil-teacher ratio;
- Formation of partnerships with local governments and communities on education.
The building programme of the UBE programme, according to the UBE Act (2004), involves three components:
- The provision of additional classrooms/offices/stores/toilets/special rooms to existing schools that are short of such facilities;
- The renovation of existing structures in bad condition. This involves a number of minor works on floors, walls, openings and most importantly, the repairs of old/poor furniture;
- The construction of new schools for which a new layout plan has been made. An alternative design is also included in this plan for urban schools that are tight on the availability of land.
The designs in both cases have been made fairly flexible to fit into different sites while growing by simple linear additions of classrooms. The programme equally requires the construction and supply of furniture for classrooms, office and special rooms, that is, laboratories, workshops and libraries.
Other programme strategies include: Expansion of early childhood care education; Improvement of teacher training; Provision of teaching-learning materials and; Provision of other forms of teacher support programme Funding UBE. In order to achieve the UBE programme support strategies in the area of facility provision, the Federal Government Intervention (in collaboration with the State) is to be funded through:
a) Not less than 2% of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) of the Federal Government;
b) Funds/contributions in the form of Federal Government Guaranteed credits;
c) Local/international donor grants.
The federal intervention fund to State is to be utilized for the purpose of broadening access, improving quality and ensuring equity in basic education, but not for teachers’ emoluments and overhead costs.
The components are:
- Substantial part of the CRF will be disbursed to State as matching grants;
- Part of it will be disbursed to State for special intervention support:
- Initiatives by State to correct educational imbalance up to 2010.
- Efforts by State to provide special education for the physically and mentally challenged.
- Efforts by State to implement school feeding programmes. Other aspects relating to the issue of funding include that:
- Disbursement of funds to State will be through State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs).
- Disbursement of grants to State will be dependent on the provision of 50% counterpart funds by state.
- Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) may withhold further disbursement to a State if it is not satisfied that funds earlier disbursed had been judiciously utilized.
To access the fund, State are expected to:
- Present acceptable annual implementation plans based on EFA/MDGS and those projects and programmes that address their peculiar educational problems;
- Show evidence of State UBE law or a strong commitment to enacting it;
- Show evidence of lodgement of the State’s 50% counterpart fund in a separate SUBEB account for specific UBE programme;
- Set up an appropriate mechanism that ensures transparency for the procurement of goods and services.
Monitoring of the fund utilization will be multi-sectoral involving the Universal Basic Education Commission, Federal Ministry of Education, National Assembly, Budget Office of the Federation, Budget Monitoring (Presidency), Accountant General of the Federal and Auditor General of the Federal. Providing adequate fund for the provision of facilities is expected to help the State achieve the objectives of the UBE by the year 2015 taking consideration of the sequential plan of the programme in the country.
Having endorsed the world declaration on education for all and also initiating the UBE scheme, the Nigerian government have taken several steps towards its actualization. The introduction of UBE, according to Okeke (2004), witnessed increase in the enrolment of pupils devoid of a corresponding expansion of classroom space, furniture, equipment, quantity and quality of teachers, funding among others. In Imo State for example, enrolment
of pupils increased from 701,107 in 1999 to 707,720 in 2005, when the scheme was officially launched (Imo State UBE Board, 2004). This increment equally gave rise to the demand for more funds, teachers and infrastructures. In Akwa Ibom State, figures released by the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) shows that there are 1, 294 primary schools, with a total population of 1, 493, 881, 321 Junior Secondary schools with a total population of 107,840 and 316 Senior Secondary schools with a total number of 89,561 students. Altogether, it has 1,691,282 students in the State primary and secondary schools. The State Ministry of Education coordinates the activities of the private primary schools, secondary and tertiary institutions in the State while the State Universal Basic education Board coordinates public primary school.
However, some scholars have identified some disparities and shortcomings in the institutions on ground for the UBE scheme. For instance, Nwagwu (2003) noted that there are widespread disparities both in quality and access across the nation, available infrastructural facilities, teaching and learning materials and inadequate number of qualified teachers. Thus having undergone eleven of the 15-year deadline, it becomes necessary to assess the implementation of the UBE programme in primary schools in the South-East and South- South geo-political zone of Nigeria in order to ascertain the level of implementation in the two geo-political zone.
Statement of the Problem
According to Article 26 of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to education which shall be free and compulsory at the primary levels. That education is a universal human right lays emphasis on the fact that it is essential for the development both of the person and the society. Underscoring this fact, the 1998 National Policy on Education (NPE) described it as an instrument par excellence for effecting
national development. In recognition of the centrality of education to national development, therefore, several policies and programmes have been initiated by the Nigerian government in the full expectation that they will facilitate national development.
The UBE is an initiative by the Government to achieve Education for All (EFA) by the year 2015. The enactment of UBEC Act in 2004 and its domestication by the 36 State of the federation and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) further emphasizes Government Commitment to ensure that every Nigerian child has access to quality basic education irrespective of religion, gender, ethnic group or socio-economic background. The legal implication of the UBE Act is provision of universal, free, and compulsory 6 years of primary education and the first 3 years of secondary education.
However, it has been noted that the implementation of the scheme in the South-East geo-political zone of Nigeria has been witnessing some inconsistent and unsatisfying trends in its execution (Nwagwu, 2003). These include inadequate facilities, inadequate number of qualified teachers and learning materials. This development in the implementation of the scheme in the South-East geo-political zone worries the researcher. To this end, the researcher seeks to assess whether there are disparities and shortfalls in the implementation of the scheme in the two zone. The problem of this study, therefore, is to ascertain the extent of implementation of the UBE scheme in the South-East geo-political zone.
Purpose of the Study
The general purpose of this study is to assess the implementation of the Universal Basic Education programme in the South-East geo-political zone of Nigeria. Specifically, the study is designed to:
a) Ascertain the extent to which facilities are available for the implementation of UBE programme in the South-East zone of Nigeria;
b) Determine the extent to which available facilities are adequate for the implementation of the UBE programme in the South-East zone of Nigeria
c) Assess the quality of teachers for the implementation of UBE in the South-East zone of Nigeria; and,
d) Evaluate the management challenges confronting the implementation of UBE in the South-East zone of Nigeria.
Significance of the Study
This study has theoretical importance based on David Easton’s Systems Theory (1965). Easton sees an organization or institution as a social system with sub-systems as its component parts. Thus the UBE can be said to be a sub-system in the education sector. Existing in the society, input is made into the scheme and such input can be in the form of demand or support. The scheme is also expected to release output into the environment and the reaction such output generates in the environment goes back into the system as feedback. Assessment of the scheme is also in order going by the suggestions of Stufflebeam (1966) as contained in his Context, Input, Process and Product (CIPP) model. Such assessment will help bring about a clearer understanding of the extent to which the objectives of the scheme is being achieved. In other words, this study will serve as an addition to the existing literature on the implementation of the UBE scheme.
On the practical side, those that will benefit from the findings of this study include education planners, Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC), State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), parents and teachers as well as academic researchers. If placed in government official gazettes, the study will serve as an avenue of sensitization on the
effectiveness of the implementation of the UBE scheme at state level in the South-East geopolitical zone. The findings of this study will, therefore, be useful to education planners by enabling them to build schools for the increasing number of pupils and students in Anambra State. It will enhance the ability of managers of education to prepare projects which are in consonance with the priorities needed to create a viable educational sector, as well as one which is in tandem with the financial capacity of the state.
UBEC officials on their part will benefit in that the findings of the study will assist planners and those tasked with implementation of the scheme with validly reliable information which can be applied for the improvement of the scheme. This study will equally help primary school teachers become more enlightened about the role of the government in funding and maintenance of the scheme as well as the need for continuous updating of their teaching skills and training. Teachers will equally be made by this study to better understand the essential roles they are expected to play if the scheme is to succeed.
Parents equally stand to benefit from the findings of this research on how the government can improve the quality of education of their children through proper management, control and supervision of institutional and instructional components of education.
In all, this study will be an addition to the available literature on the issue of UBE implementation. It is also hoped that the findings of this research will stimulate further research on this topical issue.
Scope of the Study
This study is designed to assess the implementation of the Universal Basic Education programme in the South-East and South-South geo-political zone of Nigeria. For the
purpose of specificity, however, Anambra State have been selected to represent these two geo-political zone. This study will, therefore, cover primary schools in Anambra State. The study will cover only State public primary schools up to Basic Six Level to guarantee uniformity. The study will be restricted to the examination of issues such as teacher quality, availability of facilities, adequacy of facilities as well as management challenges (funding, recruitment, training and retirement of teachers) in the implementation of the UBE programme in Anambra State.
Research Questions
This study is guided by the following research questions:
1) What are facilities available for the implementation of UBE programme in Anambra State?
2) To what extent are available facilities adequate for the implementation of the UBE programme in Anambra State?
3) What are the quality of teachers for the implementation of UBE in Anambra State?
4) What are the management challenges confronting the implementation of UBE in Anambra State?
Hypothesis
This null hypothesis tested at 0.05 level of significance guided this study:
· There is no significant difference (at 0.05 level of significance) in the mean ratings of head teachers and classroom teachers regarding the extent of management challenges in the implementation of UBE in Imo State Akwa Ibom State.
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